Voters

From quick, simple answers to detailed information

Election Day is Tuesday, Nov. 8, 2016, when all polling places will be open from 7 a.m. until 8 p.m. You can also choose to vote early, in-person or by mail, before that day.

If you received an absentee ballot by mail, but have not submitted it yet, you have two options on Election Day to get your vote counted:

Drop your ballot off at City Hall today until 3 p.m. You can also have someone else drop your ballot off for you, but it must be brought to City Hall at 350 S. 5th St.

Go to your polling place to vote in person today instead. Even if you received a mail ballot, as long as you have not returned it, you can still vote at your polling place. You cannot drop your ballot off at your polling place, but you can get a new ballot there and vote.

There are 46 days of early voting before each election. All voters in Minnesota can now choose to vote before Election Day by absentee ballot without providing a reason. You can vote by mail, or you can vote early in-person. For the general election, early voting started on Friday, Sept. 23, by mail or in person.

You can either vote early or at your polling place on Election Day. If you've already voted early, you cannot vote at your polling place - your absentee vote has already been counted.

If you would like to verify that your absentee ballot was received and counted, you can check the status of your ballot online here.

Find answers and information about what you need to know as a voter, including the three basic steps to voting:

voting eligibility

will have resided in Minnesota for 20 days immediately before Election Day.

maintain residence at the address given on your registration form.

are not under court-ordered guardianship in which the court order revokes your right to vote.

have not been found by a court to be legally incompetent to vote.

have any felony conviction record discharged, expired, or you have completed your sentence.*

*Potential voters with a question on the status of a prior felony conviction should contact their probation officer to gain clarification and resolve any status questions prior to completing a voter registration application.

Giving false information on a voter registration application is a felony punishable by not more than five years imprisonment or a fine of not more than $10,000, or both.

How voting works in minnesota

Videos produced by the Minnesota Office of the Secretary of State to help voters prepare for Election Day:

Video series produced by the Commission of Deaf, Blind, and Hard of Hearing Minnesotans and the Office of the Secretary of State:

"Minnesota Votes: Introduction to Voting" Video Series This series can help new voters learn about voting, and is accessible through American Sign Language (ASL), captions, voiceovers, and text and Microsoft Word transcripts of audio content with video descriptions included.